What is Hydrobromic Acid?

Hydrobromic acid is a solution of hydrogen and the bromine in water and it is a strong mineral acid too. The chemical formula for the substance is HBr and a molar mass of 80.9 g/mol.

Hydrobromic Acid Chemical Formula

This is a simple diatomic molecule where hydrogen and bromine are connected together by a covalent bond. With the higher electronegativity bond, the Br atoms get ionized quickly and releasing H+ ion and making a very strong acid too. It is easy to prepare in the laboratory with bromine, sulfur dioxide, and the water. When all three substances will react together, the sulphuric acid will get released as a by-product.

Br2 + SO2 + 2 H2O → H2SO4 + 2 HBr

For the industrial usage, the Hydrobromic acid can be prepared by combining dilute sulphuric acid and the potassium bromide together as shown below –

H2SO4 + KBr → KHSO4 + HBr

Hydrobromic Acid Molecular

Once the acid is diluted, it can be used commercially at different concentrations or purities. The main physical properties of the acid like boiling point, melting point, or the density generally depends on the Br concentration in the aqueous solution. It is available in the constant boiling form which is an aqueous solution and it is usually colorless or pale-yellow liquid with a strong acrid odor.

It is a very strong mineral acid than hydrochloric acid and reacts quickly with bases to form the bromide salts. In simple words, HBr is quite reactive and corrosive in nature with most of the metals.it aids in oxidizing process and catalysis. It could be hazardous to health when not used properly.